Border guard seizes over 5.8 kg of drugs on Iranian border

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani State Border Service has prevented the smuggling of over 5.8 kg of drugs into the country from Iran, Azernews reports per the agency.

At 1800 hours on June 28, a border guard operating near Yardimli region's Lazran village detected traces of a state border breach from Iran to Azerbaijan. The area was immediately cordoned off.

As a result of border search and operational measures, over 5.8 kg of drugs (4,855 grams of heroin and 990 grams of methamphetamine) were found in one package hidden in the bushes.

Investigative measures are underway, the state agency said.

Border protection and search operations are going on to ensure reliable protection of the state border and combat drug trafficking, the report added.

As Iran borders both Afghanistan and Azerbaijan, drugs are traditionally smuggled into Iran from Afghanistan and then into Azerbaijan. Given Azerbaijan's geographical location, drug traffickers attempt to smuggle drugs into European countries along the Balkan route via the country.

After the restoration of its territorial integrity, Azerbaijan is taking steps to ensure the safety and restoration of order in the liberated lands. One of these measures is to halt the flow of drugs in the region that was previously controlled by Armenia.

After regaining control of the 130-km-long section of the state border with Iran, which had been under Armenian control for 30 years, Azerbaijan closed the drug trafficking route from Iran to Armenia and then to Europe.